Gulf countries

A new study exploring social issues in Dubai revealed that Dubai residents ranked among the happiest in the world. The findings were announced on Monday by the Community Development Authority in Dubai (CDA).

Gulf ministries of health have taken all health measures to prevent Ebola virus patients from Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, and other African countries from entering any Gulf country, said Professor Tawfiq Ahmad Khoja, director-general of the Executive Health Office for Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

A Qatar-based renewable energy company, Qatar Solar Energy (QSE), has announced the launch of the largest facility for the development and manufacture of solar energy panels in the Middle East and North Africa.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is expected to introduce a unified visa that would allow tourists to visit all six member-countries, which are Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman.

Jeddah is building the first marine park at Dhahban on the shores of the Red Sea, 40 km from the city. The groundbreaking project, which was under study for the last four years, was announced by the Jeddah Municipality on Saturday.

Dubai is set to have a new mode of public transport — high-tech podcars — in the next couple of years, a senior official announced at a conference on Monday.

The Zabeel area has been identified for the launch of the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system, which is currently operational only at London’s Heathrow Airport and in West Virginia in the US. In 2011 a similar system was also piloted at Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.